American Negro Poetry

by Arna Bontemps (Editor)

Book by Bontemps, Arna Wendell

Genres: Poetry, African American, Race

231 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1963

About the author

Works of poetry, history, and fiction, such as God Sends Sunday (1931) and Black Thunder (1936), established American writer Arna Wendell Bontemps as a leading figure of the renaissance of Harlem.

People note Arnaud Wendell Bontemps, an African novelist and librarian, as a member.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arna_Bo...

Reviews

[Julietta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another ancient tome from my own bookshelf. Bought long ago and forgotten. Can't relate to the religious or jazz related poetry (due to lack of knowledge or affinity), but the heart-rending poems of slavery and country lost are devastating. Beautiful, evocative comparisons and universal themes of love, beauty, or pain!

Hard to pick a fave...

I memorized this one

Trifle by Georgia Douglas Johnson

Against the day of sorrow
Lay by some trifling thing
A smile, a kiss, a flower
For sweet remembering

Then when the day is darkest
Without one rift of blue
Take out your little trifle
And dream your dream anew

Here's an excerpt from my favorite poet, Langston Hughes' Lenox Avenue Mural.
He was part of the Harlem Renaissance.

Lenox Avenue Mural

Harlem

What happens to a dream deferred?
Does it dry up
likea raisin in the sun?
Or fester like a sore-
And then run?

Does it stink like rotten meat?
Or crust and sugar over-
like a syrupy sweet?

Maybe it just sags
like a heavy load.

Or does it explode?

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I wish some poems weren't so predictable, its the same wish I have for Caucasian heavy anthologies. I was glad to see some names I've never read, a few poems from names I've encountered before. Not my favorite, but better than most.

[William · Rating 4 out of 5]

A strong collection of poems. Now amazingly, more than 50 years old. This is a fine introduction to the early and mid-century poetry. Of course more recent voices are missing such as much of Rita Dove, Naasha Trethewey, Yusef Komunyakaa, Kevin Young and others.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

There's only one Audre Lorde poem so I can't say I would recommend this.

[Victoria & David Williams · Rating 3 out of 5]

we have an earlier edition

[behsforensics]

Cutting is for Middle Passage
By Robert Hayden

[Carhyne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't really believe that this collection of poetry had a specific theme amongst them all but the most common theme I saw in a ,majority of them greatly exemplified how a relationship with God effects how you value life. This theme wasn't stated blatantly in any of the poems but you can tell because the poets say things relating their life to how much they go to church and how they think of life.

I like this collection because it's from a time period that I really have a deep interest in. One of my favorite poets from this collection is obviously Langston Hughes He has a very interesting way of writing his poems that I feel is unique to him.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book edited by Arna Bontemps covers Afircan-American poetry for about a 70 year period.

I especially liked the works included by the Harlem Renaissance poets, particularly Waring Cuney, Frank Horne and Arna Bontemps. Langston Hughes is well represented in this book as well.

Any lover of poetry should read this book! Although I have to retun this copy to the library, I am going to look around for a copy to purchase - this one is a keeper.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was everything i want from an anthology: i read new work from people i've never heard of but should know, and kept finding old favorites and loved ones as i went, as if i was at a dinner party i was lucky to attend.

[Priscilla]

amazon.com

[Angelo Shamoon]

Pretty interesting poems about religion, slaves and other things.